Conservative Party candidate John Howell romped to victory in the Henley by-election with a 10,000-vote majority.

In what was really ever only a one-horse race, Mr Howell, 52, polled 19,796 votes to easily retain one of the party's safest seats.

The Tories majority in Henley now stands at 10,116.

However, the biggest news on a remarkable night at Thame Leisure Centre came as it emerged Labour had been beaten into fifth place - barely scraping 1,000 votes.

Both the BNP and Green parties beat Labour candidate Richard McKenzie who, on Gordon Brown's first anniversary as Prime Minister, polled just 1,066 votes and embarrassingly lost his deposit.

Turnout for the by-election was a respectable 50.5 per cent - but significantly down on that for the 2005 General Election, which was 67.9 per cent.

Liberal Democrat candidate Stephen Kearney came a distant second with 9,680 votes.

South Oxfordshire in general - and Henley in particular - does not have a significant Labour or Liberal Democrat vote.

But while the result was never really in doubt, it has sent shockwaves across the county - particularly in Oxford East, where former Cabinet Minister Andrew Smith holds a majority of just 963 votes.

Oxfordshire county councillor Mr Howell said: "I live in the area, in a village (Dorchester) that is affected by the issues raised on the doorsteps as I have been talking to people.

"This victory sends out a big message to the Labour Government: Get off our backs.' People living in rural communities are fed up with the spiralling rise in the cost of living and we feel this Government is no longer suited to dealing with that."

Siggi Jokumsen, treasurer of the Thame Conservative Party, said: "John has worked very hard for this, been a good county councillor for a long time and I think people have recognised he will do a good job."

Labour's Mr McKenzie said: "It was a disappointing result for us, but I am proud we fought a positive campaign and didn't resort to the dirty tactics of the Lib Dems."

Mr Howell was joined on stage in the early hours by an eclectic array of candidates, including two Miss Great Britain Party candidates, Bananaman and Harry Bear of the Fur Play Party, all of whom lost their deposits.

At the 2005 General Election, the Tories gained a 4.2 per cent swing from the Liberal Democrats, which left Mr Howell's predecessor Boris Johnson - who vacated the seat after becoming Mayor of London - with a majority of 12,793.

Green Party candidate Mark Stevenson, who finished third, said: "It feels great to finish ahead of Labour - that was one of the targets we set - and we always felt we had a realistic chance of doing that."